The invention relates generally to telecommunications networks and, more particularly, to a system and method for redirecting data traffic from a Signaling System 7 (SS7) network to a data network.
The SS7 network is the backbone of the world's telecommunications networks. Service providers across the globe rely on the SS7 network to implement setup, routing, and control of a call, as well as to provide to residential, business, and government customers advanced services such as 800 and 900 calling, caller ID, local number portability, and calling card verification. Without the SS7 network, the world's telecommunications networks would cease to function properly.
The SS7 network is comprised of a number of different types of signaling nodes, including Service Switching Points (“SSPs” and generally referred to as the “switch”), Signaling Transfer Points (“STPs”), and Service Control Points (“SCPs”). SSPs originate, manage, and terminate calls. SCPs act as centralized databases that validate, authorize, and answer service requests from SSPs, such as how to route an 800 number call. STPs route SS7 messages between SSPS, SCPs, and other STPs. The SS7 network was designed for an average voice call of about three to five minutes.
However, the booming growth of the Internet and remote access to data services from businesses, homes and schools has resulted in an unprecedented increase in data traffic and a strain on the SS7 network and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in general. The average Internet call has been recently estimated to be about 20 minutes or more. To make matters worse, users often leave their lines open for hours, completely tying up all circuits and trunks between the user and the Internet Service Provider (ISP). These long hold time Internet calls increase the number of callers not getting a dial tone or receiving a quick busy signal, causing capacity management problems for telecommunication service providers.
Diverting Internet traffic away from the PSTN has been attempted by a few vendors using a suite of products. The solutions usually fall into two categories. One category is to intercept calls from the caller before the calls get to the ingress switch. However, the solutions that implement this method have some problems. First of all, the switch may not be aware that the call has been intercepted and the caller is busy, and thus can not provide class services properly (call forwarding, voice mail indicating, automatic callback . . . ).
The other category is a post-switch solution. This type of solution utilizes the ingress switch, but redirects the data traffic before it gets to the egress switch. Usually, the sooner it redirects the traffic, means more efficient use of the PSTN.
Therefore, what is needed is an efficient, transparent, and cost effective method to redirect data traffic away from the PSTN in order not to tie up unnecessary voice circuits and/or switches.